« | Psalm 143 | » |
1 [A Psalme of Dauid.] Heare my prayer O God, geue eare vnto my desire: hearken vnto me for thy trueth sake, for thy ryghteousnesse sake.
2 And enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunt: for in thy syght no man lyuyng can be iustified.
3 For the enemie hath persecuted my soule, he hath smitten my lyfe downe to the grounde: he hath layde me in darknesse as men that haue ben long dead.
4 And my spirite is ouerwhelmed within me: and my heart is desolate in the midst of me.
5 I call to remembraunce the tyme long past: I muse vpon euery act of thine, I exercise my study on the worke of thy handes.
6 I stretche foorth myne handes vnto thee: my soule as a thirstie lande [gaspeth] vnto thee. Selah.
7 Make speede, hearken vnto me O God, my spirite waxeth faynt: hyde not thy face from me, for I am lyke vnto them that go downe into the pyt.
8 Cause me to heare of thy louyng kindnesse betymes in the mornyng: for in thee is my trust. (143:9) Make me to knowe the way that I shoulde walke in: for I lyft vp my soule vnto thee.
9 (143:10) Delyuer me O God from myne enemies: I hyde my selfe with thee.
10 (143:11) Teache me to do the thyng that pleaseth thee, for thou art my Lorde: let thy good spirite leade me foorth vnto the lande of ryghteousnesse.
11 (143:12) For thy names sake O God thou wilt cause me to lyue: and for thy righteousnesse sake thou wilt bryng my soule out of trouble.
12 (143:13) And of thy goodnesse thou wylt restrayne myne enemies: and destroy all them that be aduersaries to my soule, for I am thy seruaunt.
The Bishop’s Bible (BB)
The Bishop’s Bible (BB) is a significant English translation of the Bible that was first published in 1568 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It was commissioned by the Church of England as a revision of the Great Bible and as a response to the Geneva Bible, which was popular among the Puritans but contained marginal notes that were considered politically and theologically contentious by the Anglican establishment. The primary goal of the Bishop’ s Bible was to create a translation that would be more acceptable to the ecclesiastical authorities and suitable for use in Anglican churches.
One of the distinguishing features of the Bishop’s Bible is its effort to maintain a high level of accuracy and scholarly integrity while also ensuring that the language used was dignified and appropriate for public reading. The translation was undertaken by a team of bishops and other scholars, hence its name. The translators aimed to preserve the poetic and literary qualities of the original texts, drawing on previous translations such as the Tyndale Bible, the Coverdale Bible, and the Great Bible, while also incorporating their scholarly insights and linguistic refinements.
The Bishop’s Bible was notable for its large, folio format, which was designed to be read from the pulpit. It included extensive marginal notes, though these were more restrained and less controversial than those found in the Geneva Bible. The translation also featured elaborate illustrations and maps, as well as a comprehensive introduction and various prefaces that provided context and guidance for readers. Despite its grandeur and scholarly merit, the Bishop’s Bible did not achieve the widespread popularity of the Geneva Bible among the general populace.
Although the Bishop’s Bible played an essential role in the religious and cultural life of Elizabethan England, it was eventually overshadowed by the King James Version (KJV), which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611. The KJV drew heavily on the Bishop’ s Bible, as well as other earlier translations, but ultimately surpassed it in both scholarly rigor and literary quality. Nonetheless, the Bishop’s Bible remains an important milestone in the history of English Bible translations, reflecting the theological and political currents of its time and contributing to the development of subsequent translations.